Device for wet-processing leather or hides

ABSTRACT

A device for wet-processing leather and hides in which the materials to be treated are soaked in a treatment liquid and passed between pinch rollers that are loaded into contact with one another. The device has a plurality of pairs of pinch rollers arranged virtually in contact with one another and formed by two roller series which receive the material directly therebetween for treatment. The rollers of one series are fixedly positioned by bearings while means are provided for driving the last mentioned series of rollers while the other series are loaded into contact with these rollers and in such a manner that the load may be individually adjusted. In one embodiment the rollers are disposed in a horizontal plane and positioned within a bath containing the treatment liquid. In a second embodiment the rollers are disposed in a vertical one above the other arrangement and nozzles are positioned adjacent each pair of rollers to spray the material with the treatment liquid.

United States Patent [191 Kessler Oct. 7, 1975 DEVICE FOR WET-PROCESSING LEATHER 0R l-IIDES [75] Inventor: Hans Kessler, Aalen, Germany [73] Assignee: Paul Ferentzi, Germany [22] Filed: Oct. 15, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 406,653

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data May 25, 1973 Germany 2327445 [52] US. Cl. 69/32 [51] Int. Cl. C14C 15/00 [58] Field of Search 69/32, 42, 43, 46, 47, 69/48; 118/227, 228, 405, 414; 653/22 R, 205 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 50,998 11/1865 Adams 69/32 1,193,927 8/1916 Ruhe 69/32 1,731,564 10/1929 De Graff 69/32 2,117,491 5/1938 McConnell... 68/22 R X 3,457,740 7/1969 Korsch 68/22 3,606,772 9/1971 Sando et al. 1. 68/22 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 134,808 3/1959 U.S.S.R 69/32 Primary Examiner-Alfred R. Guest Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Basile and Weintraub [57] ABSTRACT A device for wet-processing leather and hides in which the materials to be treated are soaked in a treatment liquid and passed between pinch rollers that are loaded into contact with one another. The device has a plurality of pairs of pinch rollers arranged virtually in contact with one another and formed by two roller series which receive the material directly therebetween for treatment. The rollers of one series are fixedly positioned by bearings while means are provided for driving the last mentioned series of rollers while the other series are loaded into contact with these rollers and in such a manner that the load may be individually adjusted. In one embodiment the rollers are disposed in a horizontal plane and positioned within a bath containing the treatment liquid. In a second embodiment the rollers are disposed in a vertical one above the other arrangement and nozzles are positioned adjacent each pair of rollers to spray the material with the treatment liquid.

3 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures US. Patent 0a. 7,1975 Sheet 1 of 2 3,910,077

Sheet 2 of 2 US. Patent 06:. 7,1975

DEVICE FOR WET-PROCESSING LEATHER OR: HIDES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION I. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a device for wetprocessing leather and hides.

II. Description of the Prior Art In order to convert hides and leather from the raw state to a usable state, a plurality of process stages are required. For example sheepskins have to be degreased, washed and tanned. Other process stages consist,depending upon the particular material being dealt with, of neutralising, secondary tanning, greasing, dyeing, degreasing tanned hides, and other subsequent operations. The processes in leather manufacture are much the same. The prerequisite is that the treatment liquids always penetrate into the skin.

The liquids or solutions required in these treatments are in each case matched in terms of chemical composition and concentration to the result which is to be achieved and to the material being handled.

In handling leather and fur or wool hides, it is well known to treat these materials with liquids of different chemical compositions. For degreasing, for example, solvents such as trichlorethylene or perchlorethylene and the like are used. It is known in this context to carry outithe process either by moving the material through a drum, or by placing it in a boiler in which the hides hang motionless. In both cases, the hides are dried after an appropriate treatment time in the drum or boiler.

Also known is a method in which the leathers or hides to be treated are passed through treatment liquid contained in a bath, between pinch rollers arranged at intervals and loaded into contact with one another. This method, compared with the aforesaid known methods, possesses the advantage that on introduction of the leather or hide into the bath, multiple impregnation with the treatment liquid takes place. On passage through the first pair of pinch rollers, the liquid is squeezed out of the material and when the rollers release it, the material expands and soaks up liquid again. In the ensuing pair of pinch rollers, located a certain distance away, the liquid is squeezed out again so that the sponge-like effect of squeezing out and soaking in is repeated in accordance with the number of successive pairs of pinch rollers provided. This repeated sponge effect is advantageous insofar as a thorough, satisfactory treatment is carried out, without impairing the material, whilst shortening the treatment time.

A device for carrying out this known process consists of an elongated bath which receives the treatment liquid, in which upper and lower, driven screen-like conveyor belts are arranged. The top run of the bottom conveyor belt and the bottom run of the top conveyor belt are passed between the pairs of pinch rollers which are arranged at an interval one after the other. These rollers, likewise, have to be equipped with a drive mechanism. The hide or leather which is to be treated is introduced at the entry end of the bath between the two conveyor belts and drawn by them through the liquid bath. During the course of this process each pair of pinch rollers located in the liquid bath squeezes out the liquid absorbed by the material so that on its way to the next pair of pinch rollers, the material can be fully soaked with the liquid again. At the exit of the bath,

there is a last pair of pinch rollers, arranged above the liquid bath which squeezes out surplus liquid absorbed by the material. The treated material is then carried on an ensuing conveyor belt to a further processing stage. This known device, because the pairs of pinch rollers are arranged one after the other in a horizontal plane, occupies a considerable amount of space. The length of the treatment path is fixed by the conveyor belts passing through the treatment bath; thus the treatment time can be reduced, when dealing with a sensitive material, only by using a higher transfer speed. However, a higher transfer speed has an adverse effect upon the treatment process because on the one hand the sensitive material is more heavily stressed; on the other because of the faster transit through the pairs of pinch rollers, the sponge effect is reduced. The known device is thus not applicable with equally effectiveness to any arbitrary material. Also, it is relatively elaborate in design and expensive in operation because of the requisite driven conveyor belts which serve to guide the materials.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the invention is to design this known device so that it can be employed universally for all materials which occur and all the requisite kinds of processing in an equally satisfactory manner in every case, and so that it is distinguished by simplicity of construction, simplicity of assembly and reliability of operation. The inventive device is of a short length which requires only a small installation space. The treatment may be carried out in a liquid bath or the treatment liquid may be applied to the material in dosage form by means of nozzles located between the rollers.

In accordance with the invention, this object is achieved in that the individual pairs of pinch rollers are arranged so that they virtually touch one another and form two straight series of rollers receiving the material for treatment directly between them. The rollers in one series are fixed in position in their bearings and are provided with a drive mechanism, while the rollers in the other series are loaded into contact with the rollers of the first series with the pressure of each roller being individually adjustable. Because the pairs of pinch rollers are arranged virtually in contact with one another, the device has an optimally short installed length and therefore an optimally short treatment path so that even sensitive material can be treated at a uniform transfer speed. The provision of transfer belts is no longer necessary because the pairs of pinch rollers are arranged closely adjacent one another so that the material leaving one pair is fed on to the next. The transfer speed can also be modified as a function of the particular material being treated.

If the treatment of the material is to take place in a liquid bath, then the invention is characterised in that the series of rollers are disposed horizontally in the bath which receives the treatment liquid, the bottom series of rollers being positionally fixed in their bearings, and equipped with a drive mechanism. In between the rollers of the bottom series, support rollers of smaller diameter are arranged. In this embodiment, the rollers of the bottom series are equipped with a drive mechanism. Through the design and arrangement of the top series of rollers, in accordance with the invention, it is possible to arbitrarily adjust the pinch roller so that it can be matched in a simple fashion to the particular requisite conditions. The support rollers of smaller diameter are arranged between the individual rollers of the bottom series. The support rollers are arranged at a short interval from the central plane of the pairs of pinch rollers to ensure that the material is reliably transferred from one roller to the next of the bottom series.

If a liquid bath is to bedispensed with, then the invention is characterised, in a modified embodiment, in that the series of rollers are disposed vertically. In between the rollers of each series, nozzles are directed into the exit nip of each roller pair and serve to apply the treatment liquid to the material being treated. in this embodiment, the liquid bath is dispensed with, and this constitutes an advantage insofar as the treatment liquid need not be provided in surplus quantity. Instead, the treatment liquid is sprayed by the nozzle directly and in precisely metered quantities onto the material at the exit side of the nip of each individual pinch roller pair. Thus, the material compressed by the pinch rollers can soak up the sprayed-on treatment liquid directly on relaxing after leaving the nip. The ensuing pair of pinch rollers can force any fraction of the treatment liquid which has not entered the material into the material at the entry side of the nip, and immediately thereafter fresh treatment liquid can be sprayed on at the exit side of the nip.

A further advantage of the present invention resides in the fact that, in succession, different concentrations of one and the same treatment liquid can be applied to the material. Also, during transit of the material through the device, different chemicals can be applied in succession to the material being treated in the manner frequently required in tanning so that the modified embodiment of the device is particularly suitable for this application.

A further advantage of the present invention resides in the fact that different pinch pressures can be produced by different adjustments of the load elements acting upon the non-driven series of rollers. It is therefore possible to select different lengths of treatment bath by arranging that not all the nozzles are supplied with the treatment liquid. Instead only a number of nozzles are supplied corresponding to the particular desired treatment path length.

This embodiment is also advantageous to the extent that whilst maintaining the inherent possibilities of variation which it offers, it makes it possible, without employing a surplus amount of treatment liquid, to apply a precisely metered treatment liquid spray consisting of one or of different liquids to accord with the particular phases of operation. It is also possible to simultaneously spray both sides of the material being treated or to apply the treatment liquid only to one or the other side, the nozzles associated with that side of the material which is not to be sprayed being maintained closed. It i is also possible to treat both sides of the material in dicenter.

In the case of the device equipped with the horizontal series of rollers, the invention is furthermore characterised in that the support rollers are exchangeably mounted and equipped with beads or grooves, spikes or brushes extending spirally outwards from the center. The exchangeable support rollers, with their beads or grooves extending spirally outwards from the center to either end, serve to tension the material as it transfers from one pair of pinch rollers to the next, and thus keep it smooth. it is convenient in this context to arrange for the transfer speed of the support rollers to be somewhat higher than that of the driven roller series, the drive to the support rollers being, for example, produced by corresponding transmission arrangements from the drive mechanism for the roller series.

If the hairy side of a hide is to.be intensively processed, for example during the degreasing of the woolly side of raw sheepskins, the support rollers are equipped with comb-like spikes or brushes which also extend spirally outward to either side from the center. In the device equipped with vertical roller series, the same effect is achieved by means of the exchangeable rollers of the non-driven series.

The device in accordance with the invention, thanks to the facility for adjustment of different treatment bath lengths to different treatment times, i.e. different transfer speeds, and to different pinch pressures, can be adapted to any material requiring processing and used with optimum effect for each individual treatment 0peration. If, for example, a hide is to be washed, then rect succession by this spray application. In this case,

two devices are arranged one below the other or side by side, the first device being used to spray one side of considering the embodiment with horizontal roller series, it is introduced with the hair side towards the support rollers. In the embodiment with the vertical roller series, with the hair side towards the exchangeable rollers, the projections provided on the support rollers and on the rollers of the exchangeable series, i.e. projections such as spikes, combs or brushes, penetrate into the hair and reinforce the cleansing of the hair side which is produced by the successive pinching operations, thus ensuring proper cleaning. If, on the other hand, a tanned fur is to be degreased, then it is introduced into the particular device in a reversed attitude, so that substantially the leather side of the hide is brought into contact with the treatment liquid by the support rollers or the rollers ofthe non-driven series, so that proper degreasing is ensured. In the same device, other treatment operations, using another treatment liquid, can be carried out. Equally, using the same device, leather can be degreased, tanned, dyed, etcetera.

Other objects, advantages and applications of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art of devices for wet-processing leather or hides when the accompanying description of several examples of the best mode contemplatedfor practicing the invention is read. I

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE 'DRAWINGS The description herein refers to the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to like components throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a side elevational view of a device having horizontally disposed roller series;

FIG. 2 illustrates a modified embodiment of the invention with vertically disposed roller series; and

FlG.-3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the device illustrated in FlG. 2.

DESCRlPTlON OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings and, in particular, to FIG. 1 wherein a plurality of pinch roller pairs 3, 4-, 5, 6, 7 are shown as being arranged horizontally and closely adjacent one another and within a bath 1. Each pinch roller pair 3 to 7 comprises a bottom roller 14 and a top roller 15. The bottom rollers 14 of the pinch roller pairs are equipped with a drive mechanism which has not been shown, while each top roller 15 of the pinch roller pairs is loaded, by a variable force produced by a spring 6, into contact with its associated roller 14.

The bath 1 is filled to a level 7 with a treatment liquid so that the pairs of pinch rollers 3, 4, 5, 6 dip into the liquid, while the last pair 7 of pinch rollers, has a portion of its bottom roller 14 located above the liquid bath, in order to squeeze out the liquid from the treated material. The material for treatment is supplied to the bath 1 from the left (as viewed in FlG. 1), over a guide plate 9 and enters between the first pair 3 of pinch rollers. Between the individual pinch roller pairs, support rollers 8 of smaller diameter are arranged and are likewise driven through a suitable transmission such as the drive mechanism which drives the rollers 14. When the material being treated exits from the pinch roller pair 3, it is positively guided over the support roller 8 into the next pinch roller pair 4, and on into the ensuing pinch roller pairs 5 and 6, until the material reaches the last pinch roller pair 7 by which it is fed onto a guide plate 10 which leads to a conveyor 11.

FIG. 2 illustrates a modified embodiment in which the pinch roller pairs 3, 4, 5, 6 are located vertically one below the other. The left-hand roller series 14 is positionally fixed in its bearings, and provided with a suitable drive mechanism which has not been shown, while the rollers of the right-hand series are individually held into contact with the rollers 14, by the load produced by springs 6. The material 14' being treated is supplied to the top pinch roller pair 3 over the guide plate 12 and after leaving the bottom pinch roller pair 6 is taken by a conveyor 11 for further processing. As FlG. 3 shows particularly well, at either side of the material 14' being treated, spray nozzles 13 are arranged which spray the treatment liquid into the exit nips of the individual roller pairs 3, 4 and 5. The treatment liquid is sprayed onto the material 14 atthe point of exit from the rollers 14 and 115, and in fact onto both sides of the material. At this point, the material 14 is relaxing immediately after leaving the nip of the roller pairs 3, 4 and 5 so that the liquid sprayed on by the nozzles 13 is soaked up. This spraying operation is repeated with each pinch roller pair with the exception of the bottom-most one 6. The spray nozzle 13 can simultaneously spray both sides of the material 14' being treated. However, it is equally possible to spray only one or the other of the sides, by arranging that the noz zles l3 directed onto the side which is not to be sprayed, are kept closed. If both sides of the material are to be successively sprayed, two devices in accordance with the FlG. 2 are used, the second device possibly being arranged directly below the first device so that the material 14 is guided through the two devices in one direction. The second device can also be arranged beside the first, in which case the pairs of pinch rollers of the second device will conveniently be operated in the opposite direction'of rotation, and the spray nozzles 13 arranged above the pinch roller pairs so that the material leaving the first device, passes through the second device in the opposite direction.

I claim: 1. A device for wet-processing leather and hides, in which the materials to be treated are soaked in a treatment liquid and passed between pairs of pinch rollers loaded into contact with one another, said device comprising a plurality of individual pairs of pinch rollers arranged virtually in contact with one another and formed by two roller series which receive said material being treated directly thereinbetween; the rollers of one series being positionally fixed in bearings, said rollers of said one series being disposed in a side by side relationship such that said rollers almost touch each other in said side by side relationship, said rollers of said one series being rotatable about axes which are disposed in substantially the same plane;

means for driving said one series of rollers, the other series of rollers being loaded into contact with the rollers of said first series of rollers, said other series of rollers being disposed in a side by side relationship such that said other series of rollers almost touch each other, said other series of rollers being rotatable about axes which are disposed in substantially the same plane, the load of each individual roller being separately adjustable; said roller series being arranged vertically with the roller axes of the roller series being parallel to a single vertical plane and with the axes of each pair of rollers being disposed in the same horizontal plane;

said pairs of rollers having a downward feeding pinch; and

nozzles disposed between the rollers of each series and directed into the exit gaps of each roller pair for applying said treatment liquid to the material being treated.

2. The device as defined in claim 1 further characterised in that the rollers of the non-driven series are exchangeably mounted and selectively provided with a smooth surface, coverings of different hardnesses and absorptivities.

3. A device as claimed in claim It characterised in that the rollers of the non-driven series are exchangeably mounted and selectively provided with a smooth surface, linings of different hardnesses and absorptivities.

UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE QETTTCATE 0F QGECTIN PATENT NO. 1 3,910,077 DATED October 7, 1975 INVENTOR(S) Hans Kessler it is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Page 1, [73], after "Germany" insert 1/2 of the entire right, title and interest.-

En'gncd and Scaled this Q first Day 0f June 1976 [SEAL] Arrest:

RUTH c. MASON c. MARSHALL DANN Arresting Officer Commissioner uj'I-alenrs and Trademarks 

1. A device for wet-processing leather and hides, in which the materials to be treated are soaked in a treatment liquid and passed between pairs of pinch rollers loaded into contact with one another, said device comprising a plurality of individual pairs of pinch rollers arranged virtually in contact with one another and formed by two roller series which receive said material being treated directly thereinbetween; the rollers of one series being positionally fixed in bearings, said rollers of said one series being disposed in a side by side relationship such that said rollers almost touch each other in said side by side relationship, said rollers of said one series being rotatable about axes which are disposed in substantially the same plane; means for driving said one series of rollers, the other series of rollers being loaded into contact with the rollers of said first series of rollers, said other series of rollers being disposed in a side by side relationship such that said other series of rollers almost touch each other, said other series of rollers being rotatable about axes which are disposed in substantially the same plane, the load of each individual roller being separately adjustable; said roller series being arranged vertically with the roller axes of the roller series being parallel to a single vertical plane and with the axes of each pair of rollers being disposed in the same horizontal plane; said pairs of rollers having a downward feeding pinch; and nozzles disposed between the rollers of each series and directed into the exit gaps of each roller pair for applying said treatment liquid to the material being treated.
 2. The device as defined in claim 1 further characterised in that the rollers of the non-driven series are exchangeably mounted and selectively provided with a smooth surface, coverings of different hardnesses and absorptivities.
 3. A device as claimed in claim 1 characterised in that the rollers of the non-driven series are exchangeably mounted and selectively provided with a smooth surface, linings of different hardnesses and absorptivities. 